Interlocking device for remote-control switches.



0. WIS-LEE.

INTERLOOKING DEVICE FOR REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHES.

AIILIGATIOE FILED 0033.19, .1998. 7 1,024,238. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

s sums-Ban l'lll c. w1LER. INTEBLOOKING DEVICE FOR BBHQTE COITBOL SWITCHES.

APPLICATION TILED OCT. 19, 1908 Patented Apr. 23

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O. WILER.

INTERLOOKING DEVICE FOR REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.19, 190e,

1,024,238. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

O. WILER.

. APPLIGATION FILED ooT .19;.19os. I f 1,024,238, Patented Apr.23, 1912.

I 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

f 62; Made/ 77 0. WILBR. INTEBLOCKING DEVICE FOR REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHES.

.APPLIOATIOH FILED OUT. 19, 1908.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

5 SHEETS"SHEET 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT oneioii.

CARL VVILER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG'IIDR, BY MESNE fif fldillillf liffi,

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A GQ'EPURATIQN UK No Specification Letters; 3

Applicationfiictl Gotcha: l9, i998.

To (ZZZ whom ii may coma n:

Be it known that I, CARL l i innii, citiien oi the United. States, residing at Chice :0, in the county of look and $tete of Illinois, have invented a certain new and 1] efulfin-- prominent in Interlocking Devices for l iemote-Control Switches, 01? which the iolloii ing is a. full, clear, concise, and exact de scription.

lMy invention relates to an interlocking device for remote-control switches, sud its object is to provide means that will prevent the closure of more than one of o. plurality of associated switches at the some time.

As is well known, it is customary to provide remotoconti'ol switches fo controlling from a distance the operation of electrically operated main switches in powe plants. Such remote-control swilo mounted on board located 2i from the main switches, and. are or to operate the main switches by controlling; a local circuit in which theopcroting mechanism for the main switches is located. 1

main switches are frequently so interrelated that it is desirable that only one he closed at a time.

switches.

My invention contemplates p, associated control swi chess w locking device armnged so that it is no J5 sible to operate more than one of the control switches at 1 time. Such interlocking device consists of plate mounted to reciprocate between the shafts the control switches, and Mo ses 40 shafts, so that in the open: one shaft, the shafts of ii 11 are locked, and. einein locked ll the shaft of the previously operated switclji is first moved to the open position and then returned to off position.

invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 8 inclusive show my invention as embodied in well known type of rotary control switch, and Figs. 9 and 10 show the invention as embodied in a reciprocstory type of control switch. Fig. 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of apair of 'toin plan i working out of operative position.

plate w showing pi of the switci plan View, sl the int 1 tion when s to the open 3 view of one end oi 6 is 'L el '4' is :1 silly to the View sl;

end levzztio rocziioy" f i with 1 of the zaopmstus 5 casing which lilolOSQS he portly in section.

Similar letters of reference designate similar psi-ts wherever shown.

Referring first ho 1 to S inclusive, 1 is a bench-board upon which are mount 3 L switch pi'oviz. .O is plain two rotary control switches of a. well "-znown tlyloe, the drain inclosing cs es hei2 desis nsted h the [GlfilQllCQ ninnerols and "s by the numerals 3, o, he EOiilt the cent oll V I i i. .31 to said plate, it ie flu ends of said spring lricilionally engaging with the inner face of the casino; 7, tl'ierehy preventing said plate from accidentally Each end of the plate 6 is in the form of a loop 10 which incloses the corresponding rotary shaft. Each shaft 3 is provided with a fixed 'collar 11 having radially projecting lugs 19:, 13 arranged at. eppioXinn-itely right angles to each other. Pivotecl upon, the lug 12 is a dog 1%; held under the tension of a flat spring 15. Said (log is adapted when the rotei-y shaft 3 is rotated toward the closed position of the switch, to engage with a notched plate to carried by the plate (5, and thereby upon the rotation ot ti e shaft to move the plate in a. longitudinal irection toward the other shaft 3. in the oil position of a switch the collar llv is, in such position' that the lug l5; therco't extends toward the shaft of the ooposite switch, as shown in Fig. l. Assum g that, from the positions shown in Fig. 1, the left hand switch be rotated clockwise to the closed position. the dog 1+t will cause the plate (3 to slide to the right and the lug l3 upon the collar ot the right hand switch will engage a longitudinally extending recess 17. in the corresponding end of the plate (3. The right. hand switch is thus locked against rotation until the plate 6 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1. This, as will appear, cannot be done until the left hand switch is lirstmoved to the open position. if from the position rotated counter-clockwise to the intermediate or ott position merely, the plate 6 remains in the position to which it has been shifted, and hence the right hand switch cannot be operated. If, however, the left hand switch be further rotated counter clockwise toward the open position, the lug 12 will engage the inner cam surface of the loop 10 and draw the plate 6 to the left. returning the same to the position shown in Fig. 1. For the purpose of providing the lug 12 with a surface adapted to engage with the can. snrt'ace ot' the loop 10. l pret- C crahly form said lug with a flange 18 on its bottom face, as shown most cl arly in Figs. 3. T and R. The two ends of the plate (3 are preferably symmetrical. and the operation of the right hand switch, whereby the other switch is locked is similar to the operation already described. Fig. l shows in full lines the position the parts have assumed at the. right hand switch, when said switch has been first moved to the closed position, and then returned only to the ii'itermediate or 0H position. The dotted lines of Fig. i show the switch moved to the open position and the consequent movement of the plate 6. it will be observed that the cam surface of the loop 10 is such that the tlange 18 ot the lug 19 engages therewith only during the rotation of the switch from the open to the off position, and that by moving one switch from the oil to the closed position the rcciprocatory plate 6 is moved into locking cngagcnuuit with the shaft of the other switch, and remains in such position until the operated switch is moved tothe open position, said latter movement. returning the plate to its initial nOn'locking position.

Figs. 9 and 10 show awell known type of reciprocating switch in which the movable member 20 is pivoted at "21 and is normally spring-pressed into the intermediate or of? position shown in Fig. 9. The shank '22 of the movable member is provided with a handle 23. By grasping the handle 23 and moving the same to the right or to the left in Fig. 9, which corresponds to movement up or down in Fig. 10, the movable member is moved into the closed or open position, respectively, of the switch. Upon releasing the handle the spring it returns the same to the oft" position shown in Fig. 9. Said switches are likewise mounted on a benchboard 1. The interlocking plate 95 is adapted to reciprocate in guideways formed in the casing Qtl. which is secured upon the outer face of the board 1. Said casing is pro; vided with transverse slots QT, one at each end, to permit the reciprocation of the shank 22. At each end thereof the plate 25 is provided with an irregular loop '29, through which the shank 22 extends. Ad-

jacent to the connecting body portion of the shown in Pig. 5, the lett hand switch be plate 25 each loop extends inwardly to form a groove or recess adapted to receive the shank 22 ot the movable switch member. \Vhen either shank .22 is completely in the groove 2&0, such shank is locked against, re ciprocation. as is. for example, the shank at the right end ot Fig. 10.

As shown in Fig. 10, one side of each loop 29 is provided with a beveled cam surface 31. \Yhen the shank of the switch which is not locked against operation. as. fo example. the shank of the switch at the left in Fig. 10, is pressed down to move the switch into the open position, such shank rides against the cam surface 31 and moves the Liate 27 in a position to release the other switch. \Yhen both switches have been moved to the open position and have re turned to the oil position, each shank 22 lies at the mouth of the corresponding groove 3t, and either switch may be closed. In closing a switch. a by moving the shank upward. said shank rides over the curved cam surt'ace 32. moving the plate 25 so that the shank 22 of the other switch is brought into the recess 30, as shown in the right in Fig. 10. "he latter switch is thus locked and remains locked until released by the movement oi the other switch to the open position. it is obvious. therefore, that in both embodiments ot my inveytion slrawn in the drawings, one only of a plurality of associated switches can be operated at a time to close a main switch, the remaining switch or switches being locked against closure until the previously operated switch has been moved to the open position.

\Yhile, I have shown and described the interlocking plate as having the opposite ends similar, so that the operation of either switch will control the operation of the other, it is obvious that the ends of the plate may be varied in shape to adapt it to other conditions which may arise in practice without departing from the spirit oi my invention.

I claim:

1. The combi. ation with a plurality of switches each having two operative positions and an inoperative position between the operative positions, of a movable locking member cooperating with said switches, means whereby said member is moved to locking and unlocking positions respectively with reference to one switch when the other switch is moved to either operative position but is unmoved when the switch is moved to the inoperative position.

2. In a rotary switch, the combination with the shank thereof, of a collar fixed to said shank, a slidable' plate mounted in an operative relation to said collar, a dog carried by said collar andmeans provided {or said plate adapted to cooperate with sai dog, whereby the movement of said switch to a closed position will operate said plate in one direction and the subsequent movement of said switch to'the open position will return the plate to its initial position; and a second switch mounted in position to be locked or unlocked in its off position by the one or the other positions, respectively, of said plate.

3. In a rotary switch, the combination with the shank thereof, of a collar fixed to said shank, a spring-pressed dog carried by said collar, a slidable plate mounted in position to be engaged and operated by said dogupon the rotation of said switch to the closed position, said plate being provided with a cam surface cooperating with said collar to return said plate to its normal position upon the rotation of said switch to the open posi' tion, and a second switch mounted in position to be locked or unlocked in its ofii' posi tioh by the forward on. respectively, oil 4t. In an. associa ,o switches, the comb; ing shanks oi? ried by @516 s upon the o radially from-tee collar, interconnecting swit being provided at each in ch n inclosing the shank thereof, said 10o ps each provided with a recess in iine said shanks, each of said recesses adapted to receive, in the off position switch, the locking leg of the Eorresp collar, and each of said loops bei vided with a surface adapted: be by the dog, upon the closure 01" move the plate into locking eng. with the locking lugs of the switches, and also with a am sur ed to be engaged by said collar, up subsequent movement of the operated s tch to the open position, to release said plate from engagement with said locking lug.

V The -combination with a plurali o. switches, of an interlocking memoc able between. said switches, an opei movable as each switch is actuated the interlocking member into and out of on gagement with another switch, and a dog movable with each switch into tion to be engaged by and disen the interlocking member.

In witness whereof, I, hereunto subser J my name this 16th day of October it, 1908. 

